1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns fishing lures, and more particularly relates to a lure having a spinner device intended for incorporation into a fishing lure to cause the lure to assume a vertical attitude upon falling through water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,076,005 and 5,201,859 describe fishing lures equipped with spinners that rotate not only when the lure is pulled horizontally through the water, but also rotate in vertical modes of lure movement.
Examples of situations when vertical plane rotations of the spinner blade would be desirable include, but are not limited to, ice fishing, jigging over brush piles and along drop-offs and ledges, as well as during the count-down method of fishing; wherein, the cast lure is allowed to sink for a predetermined period of time to reach a certain depth before the lure is retrieved in the normal manner along a generally horizontal plane.
The spinner component of the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,859 is comprised of a number of flat blades radially emergent from a central axle element and disposed in a coplanar array about said axle element. The spinner component of the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,005 discloses a spinner element having a number of blades radially emergent from a central bearing element, said blades being angled upwardly or forwardly toward the fishing line to which the lure attaches. Although the spinner components of said Patents perform well in most circumstances, better rotation of the spinner is desirable, particularly when the line moves at low velocity in any particular direction.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved spinner component for a vertical retrieve fishing lure.
It is another object of this invention to provide a spinner which will cause a lure to seek and maintain a stable upright disposition when it falls through the water under the influence of gravity alone.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fishing lure equipped with a spinner of the aforesaid nature.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a spinner of the aforesaid nature of durable construction and amenable to low cost manufacture.
These and other beneficial objects and advantages are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by a spinner device for a fishing lure, said device comprising:
a) a hub containing centered elongated bearing means extending between forward and rearward extremities which have aligned circular apertures, the distance between said extremities being at least four times the diameter of said apertures, and PA1 b) a number of identical blades emergent radially from said bearing means and terminating in a distal extremity, said blades being equidistantly spaced in a circular array, each blade having the same forwardly directed lift angle between 10 and 25 degrees, and the same pitch of between 10 and 20 degrees.
In a preferred embodiment, the blades are concavely curved in the forwardly facing direction. In another preferred embodiment, the distal extremities of the blades are rounded.
The fishing lure of the present invention is comprised of a length of stiff wire whose forward or upper extremity has an eyelet formed therein, and whose rear or lower extremity has retaining means such as a looped snap member. A spinner of the present invention is disposed upon the wire in a manner such that the blades are angled toward the upper extremity of the wire, and the diameter of the apertures of the bearing means is greater than the diameter of the wire by an amount in the range of 0.004-0.020 inch. A weight and attractor means are disposed upon said wire behind said spinner.